Electric Forgiveness: Original Score

I had recently discovered the eclectic rock band Third of Never, the brainchild of founder Jon Dawson. Dawson created Electric Forgiveness originally as a electronica based side project with John “Rabbit� Bundrick, a name Who fans will no doubt be familiar with. This latest Electric Forgiveness album titled Original Score was recorded during a break in Third Of Never’s recording schedule.

The players are:
Sara Bell (vocals on tracks 2, 3, 5-11)
John “Rabbit� Bundrick (keyboards, vocals on track 1)
Jon Dawson (Korg synthesizer on tracks 1-11, guitar on tracks track 4, 5, 9, 11, low drums and bass on track 4)
Michael Kelly (bass)
Steve Potak (keyboards on tracks 1-4, 6-10, Mellotron on track 5)
Kurt Reil (drums)

When I first read the album title, I surmised this was related to a film score or soundtrack but that is not the case. It just goes towards the artist’s unique and quirky take on musical form. The band bills this as “A lysergic mood journey of epic proportions.� And let me tell you this is some off-the-wall stuff. Weird, freaky and totally trippy like some mind bending acid trip, this music will make your head spin beginning with the album opening “Two-Week Notice�, a complete head trip. Take that as a major compliment! With “Initials In The Wood� the band take a left of center approach with a completely crazy and experimental sound unique to the band. This does not sound like anything else I have heard. Despite its avant leanings I found this track to be highly listenable and completely compelling. The vocals of Sara Bell are featured heavily in the enigmatic “Rose Is On The Air�. The vocals come through in echoing waves and I swear I hear Mellotron swirling in the spacey soundscape. The keyboard part is completely off kilter yet somehow works. It’s another creative slice of esoteric progressive music. The weird and slightly psychedelic “Frank And Paul Meet Rod� fuses Kurt Reil’s excellent drum work with a collage of pulsating synths and trippy effects. It is easy to get lost in all the spacey sounds. And speaking of trippiness, just listen to the ominous synthesizer work in the otherworldly “Expired Dreams�. What a fun ride it is!

When you give Original Score a listen, prepare to be blown away by some amazing sounds and Dawson’s studio wizardry. Recommended for those searching for a more uncompromised listening experience.

A Broken Sound Tapes/343 Records release.

Track Listing:
1. Two-Week Notice
2. Initials In The Wood
3. Rose Is On The Air
4. Frank And Paul Meet Rod
5. Expired Dreams
6. Meaning To Send
7. Bucklesberry Nocturne
8. Prozac’s Theory Of Attraction
9. A Name Without Pier
10. Dude, Rose Isn’t Here
11. What Kind Of Battery Was He Wearing?

Added: December 30th 2024
Reviewer: Jon Neudorf
Score:
Related Link: Band @ Bandcamp
Hits: 187
Language: english

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